Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-06-17
News by Telegraph
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
THOSE REBEL FLAGS
Will Not Be Surrendered
Just Yet.
cleveland GETS new LIGHT
And Looks At The Matter
Differently. |
kALAkAUA To BE UMSEATED.
An Awful Storm Visits
Dakota.
KALAkAUA TO BE UNSEATED,
THE CAPTURED REBEL FLAGS.

Action of Congress-How the PresI.
dent Came to Change His Mind.
WASHINGTON, June 16.-The following
letter was sent to the Secretary of War by
the President to-day in regard to the dispo-
sition of the flags captured by the Union
| forces during the late war:
81 have to-day considered with more care
| than when the subject was orally presented
| me the action of your department directing
| letters to be addressed to the governors OF
all the States offering to return, if desired,
| to the loyal States, the Union flags captured
during the war of the rebellion by the Con-
federate forces and afterwards recovered by
government troops; and to the Confederate
States the flags captured by the Union
forces, all of which for many years have
been packed in boxes and stored in the cellar
and attic of the War department. I am of
the opinion that the return of the flags in the
manner thus contemplated is not authorized
by existing law, nor justified as an executive
act. request, therefore, that no further
steps be taken in the matter except to exam
inc and inventory these flags and adopt prop
or measures for their preservation. ANY di-
rection as to the final disposition of them
should originate with Congress. Yours truly,
GROVER CLEVELAND.
The Post in an article on the subject says:
"The proposition originated with General
own special care. The adjutant general,
while admitting that request for the return
OF captured colors might not have come SO
gracefully from southern State as from
northern State, gives the southern States
credit for having acted in the matter with
the most perfect sense of propriety and the
incest appreciation of the delicacy of the |
subject viewed from certain standpoints. No
southern State which took rebelIious part
return of single flag. In these circum- |
stances, and all things considered, the adju- |
tant general thinks the President has done |
graceful and a patriotic action
The Critic says: f'The collection of flags |
in the War department is under tie charge |
of Adjutant General Drum. From time to |
time several have been returned to southern
military organizations and recently General
Drum recommended that all be returned |
Secretary Endicott suggested that at cabi-
net meeting and it was agreed to-"
General Boynton, acting for Governor
Foraker of Ohio, has engaged the services of
Ex-Governor Boutwell, and Judge Shellabarger
70 enter legal proceedings to prevent the
War department from returning Confederate |
battle flags to the southern States.
The following statement with regard to the
Presidents action concerning the proposed
.eturn of the battle flags was made at the
hlte House tonight to a representative of
he Associated Press: When the question
vas proposed to the President by the adj
utant general an important feature suggest
ID was the return to the loyal States Of the
iags which had been captured by the Con-
ederates and retained by our army at
he time of the collapse of the re-
,ellion. They, with such Confederate
lags as had been captured from the enemy
" our troops, had, it was represented, for | {
ong time lain uncared fer and neglected, 7
lacked away IN boxes in the cellar of the :
Var department and had been removed to
he attic as better place for their safe keep
ng. The disposition of the flags, which
eemed to be answering no good purpose |
where they were, was the main point, and |
he consideration was presented to the Presi-
ent that some flags had been returned to 10y
i States upon their request in individual
asses and the rest, if desired might as we'll {
II be returned. The return of the Confed- {
rate flags which were with the others in the |
apartment was suggested, but there was
ot the slightest thought of interfering in
ny way with the captured flags now held $
y any State. the fact apparently received |
nth favor by the country that lately in one t
r more cases northern troops visiting their l
ate antagonists at the South had returned to '
hem flags which had been captured in battle Q
rom those whose Inequalities they were | c
scelving, the further fact that northern E
coops who within short time had been
listing southern battlefelds had spoken in | q
1e warmest terms of the kind and hospita- q
le treatment they had received from former l
confederate soldiers, and the fact, too, that :
1e soldiers from the North and South were Il
lst gathering at Washington to meet in
1endly competition at the national drill "
'emed to indicate that if the Union flags a
ere returned to the loyal States which had n
st them in battle, it would not be inconsist- q
1T with the fraternal sentiment which SEEM
l to be prevalent to offer at the same time u
} the governors of the States formerly in re. o
sllion return of the flags which we had
ken from their soldiers. The right
the government to make these re-
lrns being questioned by the President, n
lch right was distinctly asserted and prece- +
ents alleged, and thereupon his oral assent T
as given to the proposed action. The mat n
T was dismissed from his mind until com =
ent thereupon within the last day or two R
rought it again to his attention. When q
pom personally examining the law and con- 81
derlng The subject more carefully, he salts | -
ID himself that disposition of these flags Is
,uld be made without congressional action; Il
hereupon he decided suspension of opera -
ons by the letter made public this evening.
igorOus Protests From the G.. A. R.
WASHINGTON. June 16.-Vigorous protests D
,ainst the surrender of the Confederate W
Igs have poured in to-day, among them be-
g dispatches from Governor Martin of Kan pj
g, Governor Rusk of Wisconsin, Depart n,
emit Commander Sweetzer of Illinois and IT
hers representing various Grand Army ~